Japan’s Honda expects to book extra costs of almost $16 billion as it recalibrates its electric vehicle strategy. It blamed US policy changes and tariffs in part, as well as reduced competitiveness in Asia.
Japan’s Honda expects to book extra costs of almost $16 billion as it recalibrates its electric vehicle strategy. It blamed US policy changes and tariffs in part, as well as reduced competitiveness in Asia.
Maybe pivoting away from an entire vehicle power train segment when you only have a single US model, that’s actually just a rebadged GM vehicle and has zero Honda DNA in it… is a bit short sighted.
I say this as a long time Honda owner currently with a Prologue. There is very nothing competitive about the vehicle, it feels and drives like a Chevy, does absolutely nothing to leverage the fact it’s an EV and thus can be always on. It is easily the worst “Honda” I’ve ever owned. That’s where their problems are, not the simple fact it’s an EV. I’m sure whatever premium they’re paying GM for the platform is insane and would be dramatically cheaper to do in house.
I’m on my second Accord Hybrid (4yr leases) and it is hands down the nicest driving car I’ve ever owned. I wish they would just “finish the job” of fully electrifying the damn thing. The hybrid powertrain operates as a pure BEV 99% of the time. The ICE is only there to generate electricity for the electric drive motors and to charge the anemic little battery. Remove the ICE and fuel tank, then stuff it full of batteries and they’d have a winner. That would be especially true for the Civic as it now has the same hybrid setup and it’s the best selling car in Canada. Civics are everywhere! I don’t want a Model 3 but I’d snag a BEV Accord or Civic in a heartbeat.
Even if they’re out of ideas to make it “innovative” they can go back to basics with something that doesn’t spy on you, doesn’t have built-in GPS, doesn’t have cooling zones, doesn’t have seat warmers and so on, and be the best affordable EV you can find.